Expectations
by Dubbers
Summary: Helen is certainly not waiting for Nikola, and Nikola is certainly not late. April GW Teslen challenge - rain. Chapter 2 now up - GW May challenge. T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Written for the Teslen Gateworld April challenge of rain, or at least started. This is not finished, and I don't know when I plan on doing so. Set pre-series by at least 60 years, AU, established sort-of long distance relationship between the two. Ummm, probably no spoilers, unbeta'd - sorry, and I disclaim ownership of Sanctuary or its characters. Been dithering over this a while, decided just to post and hopefully continue/set it right later.**

Expectations

Helen's eyes started to glaze over as she continued her ceaseless guard of her window. She had long since stopped being aware of the passing of time; the noise of her grandfather clock faded into the background along with the whirrs and hums of machinery and the relentless patter of rain. It obscured the landscape around her bedroom, but it wasn't so much what was out there that interested Helen, more like what wasn't there – what was _supposed_ to be there. At least, according to the message she had received.

She glanced once more at the familiar writing adorning the unworthy sheet of letter paper, reading over the contents she already had memorised.

_My dearest Helen,_

_It has been much too long since my last visit; and, if I remember correctly, that was quite some time ago. It also, I believe, ended rather abruptly with what was a most unpleasant encounter and I was dragged away before I could apologise for any inconvenience, embarrassment or irrational fury I may have caused you during my short stay.  
But now fate has dealt me a fairer hand, and so I hasten to your not-so-humble abode in the hope that I may beg (literally) your forgiveness.  
I shall arrive in approximately seven days time from the date I sent this (unless of course I've chickened out and my words are currently sitting in a draw in which case you will have never set eyes on them). I shall be there no later than 10pm._

_Looking forward to kissing your lovely self once more,_

_Nikola_

He hadn't signed his full name; there was no need to; after all Helen had spent enough of her life staring at his delicate handwriting to know it was his. Besides, she didn't know any other Nikolas, save for that dreary old man with the beard; never to be seen without a bottle in his hand or a hip flask balanced precariously on too wide hips. So she knew it was her Nikola.

Helen vaguely wandered when she'd started referring to the often self-absorbed vampire as _hers_.

She tried to stop the gentle flutter of her heart as her eyes perused his sloping hand; tried to stop her irritation as the clock slipped slowly towards 10:15; but most of all, she tried to stop the disappointment that was steadily creeping up on her. Helen knew she never should have believed he'd be true to his word – after all, he never had before – but for once logical assumptions hadn't quelled Helen's hopes, and she'd believed nonetheless. Her eyes were drawn once more away from the window, towards the ever-swinging pendulum as her grandfather's hands snatched a little more hope away with the chiming of the quarter hour. She sighed and picked up a pen, determined that she would get at least _one_ of those reports finished she had set out to do as an excuse to convince herself that she wasn't waiting for him. So far she had filled in the first two lines of the top report, which consisted of 'Name', 'Age' and 'Address' and was approximately sixty characters long.

She swallowed roughly, laid her pen down once more and leant her head on one hand: _Life,_ Helen decided firmly, _seemed to enjoy finding new ways to torture her._ She wasn't sure how much more her heart could take.

***~~~***

Helen was awoken suddenly. Her clocked struck midnight just as she realised she must have fallen asleep whilst she was waiting. _No,_ she swiftly corrected herself, _not waiting. She must have fallen asleep whilst she was not waiting._

It was then she saw the light: that's what she had been waiting for; that's what had woken her up.

Helen knocked her chair over in her haste to get downstairs, scattering forgotten papers, none important enough to warrant picking up over seeing him once more. Stairs were taken two at a time, never mind what she was always told about ascending and descending properly. Propriety be damned! But she did grab a coat before flinging herself out of the front door.

Torrential didn't do the rain justice.

It didn't stop Helen running.

She was thoroughly soaked by the time she reached the gate – the coat being no help at all – and the pebbles from the path were digging into her feet. Helen suddenly paused and looked down at herself.

Her feet were bare as she'd taken off her shoes as she sat by her window: they were resting next to the sofa, waiting for cold feet to realise their mistake. Her light cotton dress had become translucent in the downpour; she'd put it on before it had started, and hadn't expected to be making a trip out in such foul weather. Her coat – a blue, thigh length one – although thick, was certainly not waterproof. Only one button was done up, so it wouldn't have made any difference in any case. Her hair clung loose around her shoulders; pins and clips littering the halls and pathways of the estate – she made a note to watch out for them upon her return.

Although underdressed, Helen knew she'd come too far to go back now and she didn't want to either. As it was she doubted Nikola would mind.

She tugged the gate open as the light approached, and watched the figure that haunted her dreams drop out of the carriage and, taking the lamp with him, pass through towards her.

"Helen?" he stopped.

Helen smiled. It was him; he had come.

"Have you been waiting for me?" She could hear the smirk through the rain, even if she couldn't quite see it.

"No, I was expecting someone else." The sarcastic reply slipped easily from her lips – he was rubbing off on her. There was a small snort as Nikola padded closer. Suddenly he seemed to notice the almost-storm hammering around them, and her lack of adequate clothing.

"Helen," he scolded, but she didn't mind. "What have I told you about getting dressed before leaving the house?"

"Nothing." She replied truthfully, before she finally gave into the overwhelming urge and stepped further towards him. She watched as her glanced down at her non-existent footwear, and then sighed.

"You'll catch your death out here."

Before Helen could protest – not that she _really _minded, but appearances and reputations had to be kept up – she was swept up into strong arms, hugged against a well-muscled chest, and silenced by a lingering kiss. Then a warm cloak was draped over her and powerful legs walked them back towards the house, the still-burning lamp swinging on an already occupied arm.

**Well, I would love to know what you thought, concrit appreciated :)**


	2. Chapter 2

May Marriage - Expectations part 2

**AN: So, I've tied in the Gateworld Teslen May challenge to the second chapter of this fic, as I felt it was going in that direction anyway. I'm pretty sure it's finished :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, except the mistakes.  
**

**Gone backwards slightly timewise, so please don't be too confused!**

**Chapter Two  
**

Nikola stared out of the carriage window, his body tense and his eyes scanning every scene for familiar landmarks. He'd been in the same position for more than an hour, and if he were human, his body would have been protesting. As it was, only his mind was screaming: the urge to look at his watch again almost overwhelming. But Nikola resisted, knowing that the lateness of the hour would only infuriate him – a reminder of another broken promise.

This time – for once – it wasn't actually his fault: the train had been late so he'd missed his connection; but the knowledge did nothing to alleviate his guilt.

He imagined Helen, tearing up his letter as the clock struck eleven, wondering why she had bothered to even read it in the first place. Or maybe she actually hadn't, and this whole journey had been a complete waste of time; he would arrive only to find the lights out and the gates locked. He'd have to climb over the wall – which wouldn't be hard, but he'd probably squish some poor plant and then Helen would be angry, or refuse to see him, or shoot him and let one of her pets eat him an-

Nikola suddenly realised that his thoughts were getting away from him.

A slash of rain appeared on the window as he sighed. Another two shortly followed, and then his view was completely obscured as they drove into the storm. His only pastime gone, Nikola shut his eyes and pretended that he didn't care.

After a while he felt the terrain change under the wheels, and Nikola knew that if he could hear over the downpour there would be the unique sound of the stones that led up to Helen's house. He'd never understood why these particular stones made such a different noise to everyone else's; but they did, and he couldn't be bothered to actually run an experiment as it was probably something to do with his _different_ hearing.

They rattled to a stop; Nikola didn't wait for the door to be opened from the outside. Stepping swiftly out, he took the proffered lamp from his driver, and headed towards the welcomingly open gates.

Things hadn't exactly gone as Nikola had thought, but that was a good thing – he wasn't sure even a vampire could survive being eaten alive by a hungry beastie.

Scooped up in his arms, Helen turned her head towards him.

"You're late."

She wasn't angry either, and that surprised him, but he wished she was. Nikola didn't meet her eyes, already knowing what he would find there:

_Hurt_

_Disappointment_

_Vulnerability_

He didn't want to see that.

But she wouldn't take it out on him, or anyone else but herself: sometimes she tried to be so selfless that she was the one who ended up in pain.

The rain was still pouring and they weren't yet halfway to the house. For the first time Nikola realised just her far Helen had run in the downpour to reach him, regardless of her own wellbeing.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, uncertain if she could hear him or not. Helen turned and buried her head in his shoulder after a second, so he figured she had.

Once inside, Nikola gently deposited Helen on the floor, making sure to mind the various hair pins scattered around. They were both completely soaked to the skin, and Helen was starting to shiver, being not even properly dressed in the first place. His cloak hadn't helped.

"Go get changed and dry." Nikola ordered, worry kicking in as he slid off his sodden jacket. "Then come to my room, I've got something for you."

Helen stopped from where she had been moving towards the stairs.. "You sound almost like my father."

Nikola paused in removing his shoes, surprised at her words. "I do?"

She nodded, eyes suddenly looking beyond him to another time. When she spoke again her tone was wistful. "He used to come home from trips abroad with little gifts for me; but he'd always make sure I was alright first."

Nikola started to slowly make his way over, wet clothes forgotten. Suddenly Helen's eyes snapped back into focus, and he saw her realise she'd revealed more than she'd meant to. She blushed slightly, and then fled upstairs.

Once safely concealed in her bedroom, Helen sank down onto the floor. She never talked about her dad; not since he'd vanished anyway, she found it too painful to remember. But downstairs, with Nikola, it had just seemed_...normal_; almost as if she did it all the time. She was becoming far too attached to Mr. Tesla. They'd been courting on and off for years now, what with her expeditions and his tangles with just about everyone: but first and foremost they'd been friends. Sure, she loved him, she'd loved him for years, her feelings slowly building up over time until she'd finally realised: but they never saw each other, and she wasn't quite sure that he felt the same way.

Helen shivered: she needed to get changed.

She got up quickly and made her way to the wardrobe, trying not to notice the puddle she'd left behind the door. Having dried herself off, she changed and threw a towel over her hair to stop the dripping, gently drying it as well.

That done, she made her way swiftly to the room Nikola always used when he was staying, not wanting to provoke him to try and find her. Half-way there she became aware that she hadn't put any make-up on, but she figured it wouldn't matter – Nikola was used to seeing her imperfections.

She stopped. Her feet had found their way to the right room even if her mind had been mostly absent. Unexpectedly self-conscious she brushed down her clothing, and knocked before she could change her mind.

"Come in," Nikola called in response to the knock on his door – although _his_ wasn't technically true, he still considered the room to be his own: nobody else ever stayed in it.

Looking up he was greeted with a beautiful sight; stood hesitantly in the doorway was Helen, damp hair curling around her ears and pooling on her shoulders, another white cotton dress covered with a blue shawl wrapped around her shoulders. She was still barefoot as she hovered, uncertain at the threshold.

Nikola smiled up at her. "I won't bite."

She smiled back. "Promise?"

"Promise." He agreed, watching as Helen surveyed the room.

"You didn't bring any luggage." She noted.

"Why would I need to?"

"I...I thought you might be staying."

Nikola frowned. "What on earth gave you that idea?" He watched as Helen looked down, embarrassed, and so quickly hurried over, placing his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I was _kidding_ Helen; I only didn't bring any bags because I've got everything I need right here." Nikola inwardly cursed himself for how cheesy that sounded, and he hadn't exactly meant it like _that, _but it did make Helen smile. "Of course I'm staying," A thought suddenly occurred to him; "I mean, if you'll let me..."

Now it was Helen's turn to do the reassuring. "Yes." Then she kissed him as if to make her point.

When he pulled back all Nikola's previous planning had gone to waste, instead he found himself fumbling around in his pocket as he held Helen tightly to him. After a couple of seconds he produced a small box, flicked it open and dropped to one knee, his left hand still holding onto delicate fingers.

"Helen," he began, his eyes as open as they could be, "Will you marry me?"

Helen stared dumbly down at Nikola, eyes wide.

"If you're going to say no could you at least hurry up? My knee is killing me." She thought she detected a more sombre tone behind the playful words. Startled from dumbness, she pulled the vampire to his feet, searching his eyes for sincerity.

"Do you mean it?" she asked warily.

Nikola looked bemused. "My knee's much better now, thank you."

Helen clenched her teeth, sure that he was being purposefully obtuse. "Not about your knee!" She watched as he sighed and took her cheeks between his palms again.

"Yes Helen." His voice was completely honest. "I mean it."

She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips at his words. "Okay then."

Nikola looked at her strangely and cocked his head to the side. "Okay?" he asked incredulously.

"Yep."

"What, no squeals of delight or terror, no argument about how you haven't seen me for the last six months or so, no r-"

Helen successfully cut him off with her lips. Pulling back for a moment she spoke softly; "And I mean it."

Then her mouth was otherwise occupied once more.

**~Fin**

**I hope you enjoyed this.**


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